


Barriers

by mle_hung123



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-24
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-02-18 16:32:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2355107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mle_hung123/pseuds/mle_hung123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka gets rejected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Barriers

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Based on jadedgalvanizer's (tumblr url) fanart. I actually wrote this around half a year ago, and decided to post it here.

For a moment, Makoto felt nothing. Held still by pure shock, his mind unable to register anything other than the dark haired boy standing a few feet away with eyes that spoke of solemn and thought-out feelings. 

_I love you._

The words began to echo in Makoto’s hushed mind. Each little letter that carried a certain depth of emotion started to imprint themselves inside his head, only leaving once they had each left the burning mark of a memory that Makoto had shared with Haruka. Guilt ridden and still silent with replies that he could not bring himself to say, Makoto fiddled with his fingers and hesitantly flipped through the memories now pulsing in his thoughts.

All the times that they had walked home together. The times where Makoto would pull him out of the pool to save Haruka from a cold, though his efforts proved fruitless during the times where he would take care of Haruka’s sickness. The times where Haruka would look at Makoto with an expression that hinted at more than just his usual stoniness, but were brushed off to save Makoto the difficulty of over-analyzing seemingly impossible conclusions.

All the times when Makoto unknowingly led Haruka on with his gestures made him uneasy.

“I…” Makoto started, eyes lifting up to Haruka’s. The faint rise of Haruka’s eyebrows was apparent in his expression, a reaction implicit with intent listening.

“I’m sorry Haru. I just…don’t love you like that.” Makoto finished weakly. His eyes held a thick glaze of repentance that slowly worked its way down his cheeks.

As soon as Makoto said those words, Haru realized…

Makoto has never cried for himself in a long time, and he wasn’t crying for himself now. Makoto was crying for him. For Haru.

Because Makoto knew that Haru couldn’t cry for himself either.

Despite the dull ache in his chest, Haruka knew that he was not the one he should be taking care of right now. Not when there was another standing right in front of him who was crying.

“I’m…I’m sorry…” Makoto started again, clenched fists wiping at his face, smiling in a way that portrayed the struggles of him trying to say the right words. After years of always knowing what to say to comfort someone, it seemed that Makoto was finally clueless, all stuttered breathing and white knuckles with no confidence left to spare.

“…I’ll still walk you home, it’s no problem for me – “

“No.”

Makoto fell into silence once more as Haruka took a step back. Seemingly calm eyes lay steady on Makoto’s.

“It’s alright Mako.”

Haruka stood there for a bit longer, waiting until the slight tinge of pink splashed on to Makoto’s nose and cheeks ebbed away before turning, letting unspoken communication fill the tense atmosphere.

Perhaps it was a mistake to leave as he did, but they both knew that not much was going to change, that everything would stay the same. Makoto was far too polite to say a mean word, and it was common knowledge that Haruka did not have many words to say.

As much as either of them wished for it to be true, how could it be? Through the silence, it wasn’t just hushed words left behind. With it was a barrier; one that would not be broken down or even addressed for some time.

Yet another one of Haruka’s to shield the fresh scars that burned for months to come.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I'm not too proud of this mostly because MakoHaru is admittedly not one of my main ships, so I wasn't too emotionally invested, ja feel.
> 
> I still hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless. :)


End file.
